More than 1,200 overdue tax notices sent in error

Frightened residents scrambled to check their payment records.

April 23, 2008|By Scott Wyman Staff writer

More than 1,200 Broward County residents have been threatened with losing their home for delinquent taxes even though they have paid their tax bills on time.

The erroneous notices arrived in mailboxes over the past two weeks and sent frightened residents scrambling to double-check their bank statements and tax receipts. Tax collectors have been sending out letters of apology since.

"This kind of mistake is unforgivable," Deerfield Beach resident Steven Haynie said. "This type of error would result in dismissal in the private sector - who will be terminated at the county? Someone should be looking for a new job."

Tax collectors blame a computer glitch for the mistake. They mailed 101,000 notices this month to people who missed the March 31 deadline to pay their property tax without penalty.

The county Revenue Collection Division needed updated address information for the mailings. When it merged data from the Property Appraiser's Office into its records, some of the delinquent bills were matched with the wrong property owner.

"As soon as we found out, we researched it and immediately turned around and corrected the problem," said Judith Fink, director of revenue collection. "No one was harmed."

The county sends out tax notices in November, offering discounts to those who pay before the end of February. Penalties begin April 1 as the county prepares for a tax sale at the end of May. The delinquent bills are sold to investors, who 22 months later can force the property to be sold at auction if they haven't been paid back for the taxes, interest and collection costs.

Fink said none of the 1,286 people who received the mistaken notices paid twice. But while she said there were few complaints, Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish disagrees. She said her office was deluged with calls because people often think the property appraiser is responsible for sending out tax bills.

"If there were only 1,200 mistakes, then every single one of them called me," Parrish said.

Rose Misuraca, 90, was among those threatened with a tax sale. She had paid the taxes on her Coral Springs townhouse as soon as the bill arrived in November. The notice she received this month was for almost twice as much money.

"The only word to describe the bill was horrific," said J. Tyson, her daughter and caregiver.

Those who received notices said they worried their check had been lost in the mail or that someone had stolen the check and altered it.

"I'm pretty savvy about these things and knew I paid my tax bill, but then you have to wonder - did it make it there, did something happen?" Elizabeth Gerbino of Deerfield Beach said. "Some people must have had a coronary."

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel. com or 954-356-4511.